Machine for delinting cotton-seed



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. J. OBRIEN. MACHINE FORDELINTINGGOTTON SEED. No. 465,800. Patented Dec. 22, 1891.

|NVENTORz f0/z2z (I 751927,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. OBRIEN, .OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO EDW'ARD J. OBRIEN, OF NEVQRLEANS, LOUISIANA.

MACHlNE FOR DELINTING COTTON-SEED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,800, dated December 22, 1891. Application filed December 26, 1890. Serial No. 375,877. (No model.)

T0 (0% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN J. OBRIEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Delinting Cotton-Seeds and Like Uses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that type of apparatus employed for delinting cotton-seed and other like purposes and in which a verticallyarranged series of circular saw-blades are employed in connection with a suitable hopper or hoppers containing the seed or other material to be delinted or otherwise acted upon.

Various objects of the present invention are as follows: first, a very compact arrangement of the operating parts combined with a large delinting capacity, so as to attain great economy in floor-space occupied; second, the avoidance of undue friction upon the cottonseed, &c., that is'undergoing treatment and which in former constructions was caused by the use of a hopper made stationary with relation to the series of delinting-saws; third, a progressive decrease in the duration of the treatment that the seeds, &c., receive as they pass through the apparatus and as the cleaning or delinting of the same progresses; fourth, means for separating by gravity the particles of lint, &c., from the seeds, &c., at different vertical points of treatment and the discharge of the same into the path of a passing air-current, by which said lint, the, is removed from the apparatus; fifth, an automatically-acting means for imparting a relatively slower motion to the seed-containing hopper or hoppers than that imparted to the saws and in the same direction, and, sixth, means to admit of the ready removal of the saws from the machine for the purpose of resharpening, &c.

My invention consists in the construction of parts and their combinations and arrangements, substantially as hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a central sectional View with parts shown in elevation; Fig. 2, a. horizontal section at line 00 to, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an enlarged detail elevation of a pair of delinting-saws arranged according to my present invention; Fig. 4, an enlarged detail plan of the same; Fig. 5, a detail plan View of the upper journal-box of the saw-shaft.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the vertical posts or uprights of the machine, attached to the floor-base 2 and having at top an arched formation 3, the center of which carries or forms the upper journal-box 4 for the vertically arranged saw-shaft 5, which at its lower end is supported in a suitable step or box 6 on the base 2 of the machine.

7 is the driving-pulley of the saw-shaft, preferably arranged adjacent to the base of the machine, as shown.

In the present invention a very important feature is the arrangement of the series of 1 circular saws 8, that go to make up the toothed cylinder formation of the machine, closely together with teeth arranged alternately out of line or in a staggered condition. As thus constructed the effective working surface of the saw formation is very materially in creased and the capacity of the same for doing work within a limited space vastly auginented.

The above-described saw formation can be readily adopted in any of the various forms of vertical-axis delinting and other machines withbut veryslight, if any, modification of the said machines, so as to increase their working capacity, and it is within the scope of this part of my present invention to so use and apply my improved saw or toothed cylinder formation. The form of the saw-teeth may be of any usual and approved form heretofore used in cotton-seed delinting and other analogous machines.

In the construction shown in the drawings the series of saws are separated by Washers 9 into a series of vertical tiers, each of which is provided with its individual hopper for holding a quantity of the seed, &c.,whilethe same is undergoing treatment from the saws.

The hoppers 10 are of a cylindrical form axially arranged and surrounding the cylindrical saw formation to form an annular seedholding chamber 11, the inner wall of which is formed by said saws.

In my preferred construction there will be a vertically-arranged series of the hoppers 10 corresponding to the vertical tier of saw-cylinders, which series of hoppers will be made of a progressively-decreasing height in their vertical arrangement, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the body of seed, &c., in the gradual act of being delinted or otherwise treated will be exposed to a correspondingly-decreased saw or delinting treatment in its passage through each succeeding hopper, the seed taking a progressively-increasing speed down through the successive hoppers in relative relation with the progressive removal of the lint therefrom. NVith this construction of the seedholding hopper the particles of lint removed will still be among the seeds, andin the movement of the same will gradually work by gravity to the top thereof, from which it is removed to a point. outside the machine by a passing current of air, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

The lower ends of the hoppers 10 are open, so as to discharge the seed, 850., into annular pans or bottoms 12, arranged a short distance below said hoppers, and having upwardly-extending outer marginal flanges 13, over which the' seed, &c., flows in its downward movement into flaring or funnel-shaped top of the next adjacent seed-hopper below, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1. The inner annular edges of the pans 12 project into the space between the tiers of saws, so as to confine the seed, &c., and prevent. an escape of the same in such direction.

14. are a series of apertures or perforations in the annular bottom of the pans 12, and 15 are a series of similar perforations in the inclined portion of the funnel-shaped tops of the seed-hoppers 10, the purpose of which is to admit of the passage upward through the mass of seeds, &c., of a vertically-ascending current of air to assist in the removal of the lint particles, &c., after they have been separated from the seeds by the action of the saws.

16 is a chute for feeding the seed, &c., to be treated into the upper one of the series of seed-hoppers 10.

The series of hoppers 10 and bottom pans 12 are united together by vertically-arranged radial webs 17, as shown, and are made of a halved or other equivalent divisional construction, so as to render their ready detachment and removal from around the saw formation both easy and convenient, the radial webs 17 affording a convenient means for bolting the sections of the hopper together in refitting the machine.

The seed-carrying hoppers 10 and pans 12 are arranged to move in the same direction as the saw-cylinders, and in many instances the friction of the bottoms of the pans 12 upon the top of the different tiers of saws may be relied upon to impart the desired movement to the said hoppers and pans. Such movement will be comparatively slower than that of the saws, owing to the. necessity of overcoming the inertia, &c., of the hoppers and the load of seed carried thereby. For general use I prefer, however, to employ positive means for attaining the relative speed between the seed-carrying hoppers and the saws in this:

18 is an axially-arranged rim-gear, on the under side of the lowermost pan 12, gearing with and receiving motion from an idler-gear 1S, journaled in an arm 19 of the main frame 2, and receiving motion in turn through idlershaft 20 and gear 21 from a pinion 22 on the saw-shaft 5, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, the relative sizes of the different gears being proportioned with relation to each other, so as to obtain the required speed for the seedholding hoppers. I do not, however, limit this part of my invention to a hopper moving in unison with asaw-cylinder, as a stationary annular hopper may be used with good results in connection with my other improved features, and this without departing f'romthe spirit of my invention.

23 is the outer casing or housing of the apparatus, secured to the. main frame and entirely inclosing the operating parts, so as to constitute an annular vertical air trunk around the seed-hoppers, &c., through which a vertically-ascending current of air is caused to pass to carry oif the lint, &c., either by a blast of air from a suitable pressure-blower introduced at the bottom of the housing through an air-inlet 24, or by means of a suction-fan connected to a suitable eductionpipe 25 at the top of said housing, the blast or suction arrangements being of any suitable or approved construction. V

The housing or casing 23 is preferably formed in sections that are bolted in place to the uprights or posts 1 of the machine, so as to be readily detachable in taking the machine apart for sharpening the saws, and the lower end of the housing is of an inturned formation to constitute an annular receivingchamber 26 for the seed, &c., as it flows or discharges from the lowermost pan 12 of the seed holders or hoppers. The bottom 27 of this chamber is made of a spiral or circularlyinclined formation, so as to discharge the stripped or delinted cotton-seed toward the outlet-chute 28 at the lower end of the apparatus. The under side of the housing is closed by the aforesaid inclined formation 27 of its bottom edge in connection with the gearsupporting arm 19, the center of which is in the form of a circular web that [its the inner diameter of the seed-receiving chamber 26, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1.

I am aware that it is quite common to place saws on a shaft with the teeth of adjoining saws out of line with each other; but in all such former constructions the individual saws were separated from each other by collars or washers. I therefore make no claim to such features of construction broadly; but,

Having thus fully described my said invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A toothed cylinder for cotton-seed delinting and like machines, consisting of a shaft, a series of circular-saw blades arranged directly in contact, side by side, upon said shaft, with the, teeth of each alternate saw arranged out of line or in a staggered condition,- substantially as set forth.

2. A toothed cylinder for cotton-seed delinting and like machines, consisting of a shaft, a series of circular-saw blades arranged directly in contact, side by side, upon said shaft, in a series of vertical tiers, with the teeth of each alternate saw arranged out of line or in a staggered condition, substantially as set forth.

3. In a machine for delinting cotton-seed and like uses, the combination, with a vertically-arranged slaw-cylinder, of a seed-containing hopper made of an annular form and adapted to turn in the same direction as the saw-cylinder, substantially as set forth.

4:. In a machine for delinting cotton-seed and like uses, the combination, with. a vertically-arranged saw-cylinder, of a seed-containing hopper made of an annular form and geared to the supporting-shaft of the saws, so as to have a positive rotation around the sawcylinder, substantially as set forth.

5. In a machine for delinting cotton-seed and like uses, the combination, with a vertically-arranged saw-cylinder composed of vertical tiers of saws, of a series of independent annular-shaped seed-containing hoppers surrounding the saW-cylinder, substantially as set forth.

.6. In a machine for delinting cottonseed and like uses, the combination, with a vertically-arranged saw-cylinder composed of vertical tiers of saws, of a series of independent annular-shaped seed-containing hoppers havng a progressively-increasing height from the top to the bottom of 'the machine, substantially as set forth.

7. In a machine for delinting cotton-seed and like uses, the combination, with a vertically-arranged saw-cylinder composed of vertical tiers of saws, of a series of independent annular-shaped seed-containing hoppers, the sides of which are provided With air apertures or perforations, substantially as set forth.

8. In a machine for delinting cotton-seed and like uses, the combination, with a vertically-arranged saw-cylinder composed of vertical tiers of saws, of a series of annularshaped seed-containing hoppers, and annular pans or trays forming the bottom thereof, substantially as set forth.

9. In a machine for delinting cotton-seed and like uses, the combination, with a vertically-arranged saw-cylinder composed of ver tical tiers of saws, of a series of annularshaped seed-containing hoppers, and annular pans or trays forming the bottom thereof and having outer upturned marginal flanges, substantially as set forth.

10. In a machine for delinting cotton-seed and like uses, the combination, with a vertically-arranged saw-cylinder composed of vertical tiers of saws, of a series of annularshaped seed-containing hoppers, and annular pans or trays forming the bottom thereof and having outer upturned marginal flanges and a plain inner concentric edge adapted to fit within the space left between the tiers of saws, substantially as set forth.

11. In a machine for delinting cotton-seed and like uses, the combination, with a vertically-arranged saw-cylinder composed of vertical tiers of saws, of a series of annularshaped seed-containing hoppers, and annular pans or trays forming the bottom thereof, the sides of the hoppers and bottom of the pans being formed with perforations, substantially as set forth.

12. In a machine for delinting cotton-seed and like uses, the combination, with a vertically-arranged saw-cylinder composed of vertical tiers of saws, of a series of annularshaped seed-containing hoppers, and annular pans or trays forming the bottom thereof, the hoppersand pans being united together by vertically-arranged radial webs, substantially as set forth.

13. In a machine for delinting cotton-seed and like uses, the combination, with a vertically-arranged saw-cylinder composed of vertical tiers of saws, of a series of annularshaped seed-containing hoppers and annular pans or trays forming the bottom thereof, the

hoppers and pans being united together by vertically-arranged radial Webs and made in vertical sections, so as to be readily detachable, substantially as set forth.

14:. In a machine for delinting cotton-seed and like uses, the combination, with a vertically-arranged saw-cylinder, of a seed-containing hopper made of an annular form, and a separate and independent stationary casing or outer housing inclosing the same and constituting an air-trunk therefor, substantially as set forth.

15. In a machine for delinting cotton-seed and like uses, the combination, with a vertically-arranged saw-cylinder, of a seed-containing hopper made of an annular form, and a separate and independent stationary casing or outer housing formed in sections and bolted to the main frame, so as to be readily detachable, substantially as set forth.

16. In a machine for delinting cotton-seed and like uses, the combination, with a verticallyarranged saw-cylinder, of a seed-con taining hopper made of an annular form, and a casing or housing formed With an annular seed-receiver at its lower end, substantially said chamber being of a circularly-inclined as set forth. form, substantially as set forth. lo 17. In a machine for delinting cotton-seed In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature in and like uses, the combination, with a vertipresence of two witnesses.

cally-arranged saw-cylinder, of a seed-con- JOHN J. OBRIEN. taining hopper made of an annular torm, and Witnesses: a casing or housing formed with an annular L. A. NAHM,

seed-receiver at itslower end, the bottom of JAMES P. SHEEDYE 

